a dragon lurks inside
by isaacswolfsbane
Summary: The reserve falls under attack and Charlie can't handle the loss he faces so runs away to live as a dragon. Fourteen years later, Teddy embarks on an adventure to find him. / Soulmate!au


**QLFC Round 7 – Movies that Killed their Franchises;**  
Arrows, Captain – The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Note: I used Han's ability to shapeshift into a dragon as inspiration for this.

* * *

 **a dragon lurks inside**

 _2004_

 _Charlie kisses Theo quickly before they part ways._

 _"I love you," he says._

 _"I love you too."_

 _Then, Theo is racing towards the infirmary and Charlie is racing towards the dragons. He hopes Theo manages to get everything he needs and make it back in time. If Charlotte's word can be trusted, Helio, the Swedish Short-Snout they had brought in the day before, doesn't have much time left._

 _"What happened?" Charlie asks when he reaches Charlotte and Helio._

 _"Poachers," Charlotte explains. "Evan and Carlos are trying to catch them. I've stopped the bleeding as best as I can, but we really need Theo's help."_

 _"He's gone to get the supplies."_

 _Charlie rests a tentative hand on Helio's side. He takes a moment to appreciate the feeling of the silvery-blue scales against his bare skin, but the touch must aggravate Helio because the dragon starts to struggle. Either that or the dragon is more perceptive than Charlie thought and can feel how stressed out Charlie is._

 _"Go look for Theo," Charlotte tells him, somehow sensing what was plaguing his mind the most._

 _Charlie gives her a worried smile before walking around Helio to a place with a better view._

 _He instantly wishes he hadn't._

 _Theo is duelling one of the poachers about fifty metres away, and before Charlie can even think about going to help, the poacher is shouting, "_ Avada Kedavra _!" and Theo is crumpling to the floor._

 _Charlie's knees give way and he screams, a raw, haunting scream that startles Helio into breathing fire that narrowly misses Charlie. Theo is dead. The man he loves, the man who had fallen for Charlie just as hard as Charlie had fallen for him despite them not being soulmates, is lying lifeless on the floor, and all Charlie can do is scream._

 _He doesn't know how long he stays like that. Long enough that he stops screaming. Long enough that Charlotte leaves Helio's side to see what's happening. Long enough that Carlos and Evan finally catch up. Long enough that Helio takes his last breath. Long enough that the poachers notice him._

 _When the spell hits him, Charlie is ready for it. He never found his soulmate, but Theo had been close enough. Theo had been there for him when nobody else was, and all Charlie wants is for Theo's arms to comfort him. In that moment, with the flash of light coming straight at Charlie, he's ready to die._

 _…_

 _Charlie isn't sure where he is when he first opens his eyes. There's a lot of bright white light and for a second he wonders if it's heaven, but then Antoni appears, casting diagnostic spells on Charlie, and everything comes rushing back to him. He's in the infirmary at the reserve. Whatever spell had been cast hadn't killed him._

 _The numbness that had paralysed him the night before is gone. Instead, Charlie is filled with a white hot rage and a desperate need to escape._

 _He spots his wand on the bedside table and within seconds has it in his hand and is racing out the door, ignoring Antoni's protests. Charlie isn't sure what his plan is, he just keeps running. One minute he's tearing through the reserve, the next he's out of the gates and getting further and further away from the place where his boyfriend and his favourite dragon were murdered._

 _When he can't run any longer, he transforms. He welcomes the pain of wings sprouting from his back, of his bones twisting, of growing larger than he is. Then, he flies._

 _There's a sense of freedom that comes with flying that Charlie hadn't experienced when running. He isn't sure whether it is the flying, or if it's the fact that he's no longer human, but he embraces the freedom. Anger still courses through his veins, but as his wings beat, propelling him through the air, it begins to dissipate._

 _He flies for hours; crossing land, crossing oceans, doubling back on himself, and never knowing where in the world he is. As he flies over an ocean, he drifts close to the water in an attempt to catch some of the salty spray to cool himself down. It's only then, when he spots his reflection, that he notices how different rage has made his animagus form. He's bigger than he's ever been and his scales are a deep scarlet instead of their usual blood orange. It's his eyes that frighten him the most, though. Instead of being blue as they are when he's a human, they're a bright orange with flecks of red. They look just like fire, and they're filled with rage._

 _It's dark before he gets tired, but thankfully, Charlie's animagus form enhances his vision and he's able to find a safe landing spot deep in a mountain range. Something in the back of his mind warns him that these mountains may not be deserted, but he pays it no mind; he's just grateful for a place to rest._

 _They are, though. Well, apart from livestock and the occasional mountain-dwelling animal, but nothing that inhabits the mountains is capable of harming Charlie._

 _He only intends to stay for a few days at the absolute most, but he begins to settle in and the mountains start to become home. It's a very solitary existence, but Charlie enjoys it. He isn't lonely. In fact, he thinks he's better off alone than he would be around other people. He doesn't forget Theo—nothing could make that happen—but the anger begins to subside little by little the longer he stays there._

 _Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and eventually, Charlie begins to think of the mountain as home. He has a nest inside a shady cave just off a flat area that's large enough for Charlie to sunbathe on when he wants to, and he hasn't_ _seen a single human since he left the reserve. Part of him never wants to see another human again. He just wants to stay in peace and enjoy the time to himself as a dragon, as something that doesn't have responsibilities, and as someone who doesn't have to think about the tragedy he faced._

* * *

 _2018_

A cough rattles in the front room and Teddy cringes, almost dropping the kettle. He knows Molly is dying—that's why he's here; to help look after her while he's between jobs—but hearing her die isn't what he signed up for.

Carrying the mug of buttermint tea through to the living room, he says, "Tea, Molly." His voice is much cheerier than Teddy feels, desperate not to let Molly know how much this is hurting him. "Anything else I can fetch you?"

"My son," Molly whispers. Teddy isn't sure if the hurt in her voice is pain from her illness or something else.

Teddy pulls his phone from his pocket and checks the time. "It's three o'clock, so they'll all be at work. I can ring Uncle George if you wa—"

"Not that son," Molly says, a definite note of sadness in her voice this time. "Charlie. I want to see Charlie again before I die."

Teddy gulps. He isn't sure how to help Molly with this one. Nobody has seen Charlie since a few years after the war. Molly would probably know how long exactly, but Teddy had still been a child at the time and had never had the chance to meet Charlie.

"I'll find him."

As soon as the words leave Teddy's mouth, he knows it's true. It's the perfect opportunity to help Molly, and it gets him out of the house so he isn't faced with seeing what the illness is doing to her. If only he knew where to start looking. He supposes talking to the rest of the family would be a good start.

…

Teddy paces, his eyes glancing to his phone screen every few seconds as he waits for the Portkey to be ready. He wishes he could Apparate to Romania, or even get a flight the Muggle way—anything is better than travelling by Portkey—but it's the most efficient way of travelling long-distance, so it'll have to do.

 _16:08_

He'd spoken to everyone, apart from Bill who was out of the country, to find out as much as he could about Charlie. They'd all had the same information, though—he loves dragons, worked in Romania, had left when poachers had broken into the reserve and killed a couple of dragons for their hides. He wonders if Bill would know anything more—they were very close while growing up, after all—but he's working in Egypt so Teddy hadn't been able to talk to him. He'd ended up sending Bill a quick text explaining the situation, but he doing expect a reply since Bill's useless at checking his phone.

 _16:09_

The reserve is Teddy's next best lead. He's hoping someone there will be able to shed some light on what happened when Charlie left. They're also more likely to have helpful information about Charlie since they worked in close contact with him for years.

Teddy's phone vibrates in his hand and he looks down to see a text message from Bill.

 _Bill: Sorry, mate, can't really help more than what you already know. He likes to be alone and his animagus is a dragon. *shrugging emoji* Let me know if you need any more help. Send an owl next time! I'll actually answer that *laughing emoji*_

Teddy's eyes widen in surprise at the new information. Teddy didn't even know he was an animagus, and he didn't think anyone else in the family knew either. He can't imagine they'd have kept that gem of information from him.

His phone vibrates again, but this time it's the alarm he'd set for the Portkey. He pulls the worn leather journal out of his inside pocket and holds his breath as the familiar tingling sensation starts in his gut before he's wrenched from the ground and is lost in a sickening twisting motion before being spat out and landing on his back just outside the reserve.

He blinks a few times, attempting to clear his head of dizziness before he stands up.

A face appears above him.

"I'm Charlotte," she says. It takes Teddy a minute to realise she's holding out a hand to help him up. He takes it. "You must be Teddy—the blue hair gives you away."

Teddy takes her hand and pulls himself to his feet. With a grin, he changes his hair colour to purple.

"Whoa," Charlotte says. "I was told you had colourful hair but I thought you'd just used Colovaria. I didn't know you were a Metamorphmagus!"

With a laugh, Teddy says, "That's the reaction I was looking for!"

"Come on," Charlotte says. "I don't know about you, but Portkey travel always makes me hungry. Let's get you some food while I tell you everything I know."

…

Apparently, a dragon resembling a Chinese Fireball had been seen flying over the Auvergne Mountains in France. Charlotte had suspected Charlie was involved, and when Teddy asked if it could be his animagus form, Charlotte said she wouldn't be surprised if it was—she hadn't known he was an animagus, but she imagined Charlie would look like a Fireball if he was a dragon.

That's why Teddy is trekking through French mountains, eyes trained on the sky as he stumbles across the uneven ground. He isn't even sure he's in the right mountain range, but at least he's doing something. And, honestly, it's a lot of fun. He knows the reason he's there to find Charlie is because Molly's dying, but something about being out in completely unfamiliar territory excites him. Teddy feels like he's on an adventure and he loves it—he'd even tied a whip to his side to make himself feel like Indiana Jones.

He's so wrapped up in the excitement of being on an adventure—and by flicking his whip around when he gets bored (enough that he gets quite good at it and can even pick up stones and bones with it)—that he almost misses the first signs of a dragon living nearby. It isn't until he trips over the bones of an unidentifiable animal and sees the scorch marks on the ground that he realises he must be in the right place.

His eyes scan the surrounding area, landing on a trail of red.

"Is that… blood?"

The surprise at seeing signs of life makes Teddy voice his thoughts aloud. Hearing the sound of his own voice is strange to Teddy as the only sounds he's heard for days are the rush of the wind and the crack of his whip, but he doesn't marvel at it for too long. The trail of blood is calling out for Teddy to follow it. So he does, whip clutched in his hand in case he needs it.

* * *

Charlie's ears prick up at the sound of a voice outside. It's human. Why is there a human outside?

He isn't sure what to do. His wings shift on his back, desperate to unfurl themselves and fly away, but he can't; he's in his nest and to fly would mean leaving the cave and potentially running into the human outside.

It doesn't matter in the end. Charlie spends too long deliberating and then the human is standing at the mouth of the cave. He has bright blue hair and a whip in his hand.

There isn't time for Charlie to think about the human's intentions. He has spent too long living as a dragon and his first instinct is to defend his home. Fire is spilling from Charlie's mouth, and a second later, it's engulfing the human.

And when the fire stops, the human is still there. Charlie had assumed the fire would kill, that he'd have another reason to keep away from the rest of humanity, but the human is still there and looks just as surprised as Charlie feels.

A moment later, Charlie feels his body begin to twist and shrink. Then, he's sitting in the middle of a giant nest, his mouth open in shock, his body human for the first time in years.

* * *

As the fire engulfs Teddy, he closes his eyes, expecting it to burn. It doesn't. His eyes shoot open, and Teddy marvels at the glow of the fire surrounding him, yet causing him no harm.

"Impossible..." Teddy whispers, realising exactly what it means that he hasn't been hurt.

The fire ceases, and Teddy sees a man sitting where the dragon once was. It startles Teddy to see a man in his forties, even if he does look incredibly good for his age—all the stories about Charlie he's heard have been from when he was in his twenties, and a part of Teddy expected him to still be that age.

He wonders if Charlie has realised the same thing he has. That the fire didn't hurt Teddy at all. That it means they're soulmates.

Teddy had never considered that his soulmate would be this much older than him. He had suspected there would be an age difference since Teddy didn't find his soulmate while at Hogwarts, but not a twenty-five year age difference.

As Charlie stares at him in shock, Teddy realises he hasn't thought through this part of the plan. He doesn't know what he's supposed to say to Charlie to convince him to come home—he can't imagine it's going to be easy after he spent more than a decade as a dragon.

Silence stretches between them. Neither of them move, they just stare at each other. Eventually, after what could be minutes or hours, Charlie breaks the silence.

"Who are you?"

Teddy blinks, not expecting the question. "Teddy. Teddy Lupin."

* * *

 _Teddy Lupin?_

It takes Charlie a moment to recognise the name. He recalled something about Remus Lupin having a son before he died, but it doesn't click right away that Teddy must be that son. Charlie is too consumed with the realisation that Teddy Lupin is his soulmate, someone he had given up on finding.

"Why are you here?"

"I need you to come home."

The words fall from Teddy's mouth so easily, but there's something about them that Charlie can't comprehend. He is home. The cave is his home. Why would he go anywhere else?

When he realises what Teddy means, his stomach sinks. There's too many memories there he doesn't want to face. "I can't."

"Yes, you can."

Teddy's seafoam green eyes look so certain, that Charlie really wants to believe he can do it.

In true Charlie fashion, his voice is laced with sarcasm when he says, "Oh, look, your words of affirmation have magically made it possible." He sighs before starting again, this time without the sarcasm. "I want to, Teddy, but there's too many bad memories. I can't go back and face them."

""You're going to have to accept the fact that we can't save everyone," Teddy says. Charlie can tell instantly that he knows about Theo—the sadness in Teddy's eyes, the pity in his voice. "And you need to see your mum before she dies."

If Charlie wasn't already sitting, he'd have collapsed. As it is, he just feels his body go limp. "Okay," he agrees weakly.

* * *

Teddy grips Charlie around the waist, holding the man up, and Apparates them to Shell Cottage. To say Bill and Fleur are surprised when they show up is an understatement. They don't stop for long, though—Teddy Apparates them to the Burrow as soon as he's caught his breath.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Teddy asks when they're both outside.

Charlie nods.

Teddy pushes open the door, and Charlie stops just inside the threshold. His hand finds Teddy's and Teddy squeezes it in support. In that moment, Teddy knows that whether or not they're ever romantic, he'll always be there for his soulmate.

"Mum?" Charlie asks.

A rattling cough is all that answers, and a second later the warmth of Charlie's hand has left Teddy's as the man races across the room and wraps his mother in a hug.

* * *

 **Word Count:** 3,019.

* * *

 **This is for:**

 **Hogwarts;**  
 **Assignment Two – Travel & Tourism;** Task 5 – Write about someone finding solitude somewhere and spending time alone.  
 **Fanfic Resolutions;** 29\. Write a crossgen fic  
 **Insane House;** 303\. (spell) Avada Kedavra  
 **365 Prompts;** 205\. (plot point) a character runs away  
 **Seasonal – Summer Prompts;** (word) ocean  
 **Seasonal – Fire Elements;** (word) scorch  
 **Seasonal – Shay's Musical Challenge;** Pippin – Write about someone who likes adventuring  
 **Writing Club – Character App;** 12\. (relationship) estranged son/reuniting with family  
 **Writing Club – Disney;** S3 – Write about someone flying  
 **Writing Club – Trope of the Month;** Crossgen, 3. (word) information  
 **Writing Club – Showtime;** 2\. (setting) France  
 **Writing Club – Amber's Attic;** T1 – Write about a transformation  
 **Writing Club – Count Your Buttons;** D3 – "Is that… blood?"  
 **Writing Club – Lyric Alley;** 5\. Run away, they say  
 **Writing Club – Ami's Audio Admirations;** 13\. Prompt set: (colour) red, (setting) at night, (word) glow  
 **Writing Club – Sophie's Shelf;** 71\. Charlie/Teddy  
 **Writing Club – Em's Emporium;** 4\. Sam – Feature dragons in your story  
 **Writing Club – Lo's Lowdown;** D5 – "You're going to have to accept the fact that we can't save everyone."  
 **Writing Club – Bex's Bazaar;** O6 – Write about an orphan  
 **Sophie's Tearoom;** Mango Bellini – (genre) hurt/comfort  
 **Romance Awareness;** Day 4 – Your soulmate is the only one who can't hurt you  
 **Auction;** (character) Charlie Weasley  
 **Gobstones;** White Stone – Mourning, A – (emotion) surprise, P – (colour) seafoam, T – (word) drift  
 **Holmes Mystery;** (spell) Avada Kedavra  
 **Prompt of the Day;** Day 42 – (trope) crossgen

 **Camp Potter;**  
 **The Fairy Woods;** Write about someone moving into a new home  
 **Ice Cream Making Station;** Sprinkles – (creature) dragon

 **HPFC;**  
 **Hunger Games;** (word) impossible, (emotion) anger, (dialogue) "I can't." / "Yes, you can." / "Oh, look, your words of affirmation have magically made it possible.", (genre) angst, (weapon) whip  
 **Build A Zoo – Decoration;** Tree – (spell) Avada Kedavra


End file.
